Caged but Free

I got to play instructor for a moment today....

I was at a customer that has nothing but 8 to 10 foot straight trucks for deliveries but everything they receive comes in on a 53 foot trailer.. So us delivery trucks must blindside back around their trucks as there is only one way in and out.. Well this guy with just 30 days experience came in and was trying to backup drivers side.. After watching him a few minutes, he set the brakes and came over to me and asked how to get into this dock.  After i told him he must blindside into the dock he told me he never done that before..

Well then time for a lesson (besides it's the right thing to do, he was backing next to my truck and I really don't like paperwork) So I talked him through it. Showed him how he needed to set up for this dock, how to inch it in and to his credit - he didn't trust me 100%. One thing you learn quickly in this job - at the end of the day, no matter how much help you have, it's the person behind the wheel that is ultimately responsible... he made sure as he was taught - to get out and look to make sure he wasn't going to hit anything.. After he got in the door, he jumped out of the truck, shook my hand and gave me a thousand thank you's.. I just told him I was the same as him a long time ago just starting out...

This also really made my day after a really mentally challenging one yesterday.. I really like how this bird seemed caged in (protected from big birds) and yet free to fly away... Life has a way of being the same to us humans at times too...

Back to Portland in the morning...